A NARROW COASTAL STRIP
Gaza, sandwiched between Israel and Egypt, is just 25 miles (40 kilometers) long and six miles (10 kilometers) wide. It was part of the British-ruled Palestine Mandate before the 1948 war surrounding Israel s creation, when it came under Egypt s control.
Large numbers of Palestinians who fled or were driven from what is now Israel ended up in Gaza, and the refugees and their descendants now number 1.4 million, accounting for more than half of Gaza s population.
Israel captured Gaza, along with the West Bank and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories to form their future state.
Why is Gaza almost always mired in conflict?
SECTIONS
Last Updated: May 14, 2021, 10:39 PM IST
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Synopsis
It s the fourth round of major conflict between Israel and Hamas since 2008, with the tiny enclave s more than 2 million Palestinian residents bearing the brunt of the deaths and the destruction.
Agencies
The latest eruption of violence has raised the specter of another devastating war and once again drawn international attention to the impoverished, densely populated strip.
The Gaza Strip was pounded this week by hundreds of Israeli strikes from sea, land and air, while the enclave s militant Hamas rulers fired hundreds of rockets into Israel.
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May. 13, 2021 8:21 PM
Facebook announced last week it had removed hundreds of fake accounts linked to Palestinian parties, including those of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction, ahead of the since-canceled Palestinian elections.
It also took down fake accounts connected to some of Ukraine s best-known Jewish politicians, including former Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and several unnamed individuals connected to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party.
Zelensky and Groysman s respective political achievements have been touted by the local Jewish community as proof that antisemitism is on the wane in the former Soviet republic.
Hamas Warns Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas it Will Not Provide Cover if Election Delayed
On 4/29/21 at 12:48 PM EDT
Ahead of expectations that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party will seek on Thursday to delay the country s upcoming election, the Islamic militant group Hamas voiced its disapproval, saying it will not be party to a postponement.
The group, which is expected to perform well in the May 22 parliamentary elections, said in a statement that voting is a fundamental national right and appeared to warn Abbas that it will not provide cover in the event of a delay or cancellation.
Abbas cited a dispute with Israel over voting in Jerusalem, but Hamas rejected the idea that Palestine needs Israel s permission. The elections are Palestine s first in 15 years and offer an opportunity for Palestinians to elect new leadership, potentially changing directions in a long struggle for independence.
Palestinians cheer as Israeli barriers come down after Jerusalem Ramzan clashes
Palestinians cheer as Israeli barriers come down after Jerusalem Ramzan clashes
Palestinians celebrated and cheered outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on Sunday night after barriers put up by Israeli police were removed.
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UPDATED: April 26, 2021 08:57 IST
Palestinians wave flags and celebrate outside Damascus Gate after barriers that were put up by Israeli police were removed (Reuters photo)
Palestinians gathered in celebration outside Jerusalem s Damascus Gate on Sunday night after barriers put up by Israeli police were removed, allowing them access to a square that became the focus of nightly Ramadan clashes.